a wide full cloud was filmed barreling across the city, lightning flashing inside like giant christmas ornaments. >> wow! look at that. >> reporter: at least 15 reported twisters spawned by a storm marching all the way from california. the tornadoes triggering these explosions, tossing trailers. >> we've got a lot of damage, people hurt. >> we've had homes that are 90% destroyed. >> reporter: the midtown area of mobile fully blacked out, lit only by the lights of police cruisers. this morning, about 20,000 mobile residents are still without power. over 100,000 across the state. dazed residents pick through debris as rescue workers search for people trapped in the rubble. the punishing wind mangling the graceful homes. matt gutman, abc news, mobile, alabama. >>> early on christmas day, a houston area man died after a tree fell right on his pickup truck. strong winds apparently brought the tree down and crushed the 25-year-old victim. he was trying to move another tree that fell when he was hit. winds brought down power lines leaving thousands in the park. as abc's mark greenblatt report